THE BASICS

Greetings. Every once in a while...I have to get back to the BASICS. I need to review and realize my condition... B.C. (Before Christ)...the gap/gulf between me and God because of my sin...my inability to work my way into heaven....my inability to effectively deal with sin...the cause and effect of the sin...and GOD'S SOLUTION.

"As it is written...there is NONE (including Rodney) righteous...NO NOT ONE." (Romans 3:10)

"For ALL have sinned and FALLEN SHORT of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

"For the WAGES of sin is DEATH, but the FREE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to DIE ONCE...and after this comes JUDGEMENT." (Hebrews 9:27)

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world...and DEATH THROUGH SIN...and so DEATH SPREAD to all men...BECAUSE ALL SINNED." (Romans 5:12)

Once we determine that there is a gap between us and God...we try to determine how to build a bridge across that gap with our good works.

"He saved us...NOT on the BASIS OF DEEDS...which we have DONE in righteousness....but ACCORDING to His mercy...by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit."
(Titus 3:5)

"For by GRACE have you been saved through faith...and that NOT OF YOURSELVES...it is the GIFT OF GOD...NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS....that no one should bast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS...which God prepared beforehand, that we should WALK IN THEM." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

"But God DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE toward us...in that while we were YET SINNERS...Christ DIED FOR US." (Romans 5:8)

"For God so LOVE the world...that He gave His only begotten Son...that whosoever believes...should NOT PERISH...but have EVERLASTING LIFE." (John 3:16)

This is the most open/closed invitation there is. The provision is for WHOSOEVER...but it is HINGED on WHOSOEVER'S CHOICE...VOLITION...FREE WILL.

"But as many (whosoever) RECEIVED Him...to them He gave the RIGHT to become children of God,...even to those who BELIEVE IN HIS NAME." (John 1:12)

"But what does it say? The WORD is near you...in your MOUTH...and in your HEART...that is THE WORD OF FAITH which we are preaching...that IF you CONFESS with your MOUTH... JESUS AS LORD...and BELIEVE in your HEART that God RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD....you shall be SAVED....for with the HEART man BELIEVES...resulting in RIGHTEOUSNESS...and with the MOUTH he CONFESSES....resulting in SALVATION. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him...For WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." (Romans 10:8-13)

"Truly, truly, I say to you...he who HEARS MY WORD...and BELIEVES HIM who sent Me...HAS ETERNAL LIFE...and does not come into judgment...but has PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE." (John 5:24)

This is the basics of Christianity. It is all ROOTED in the D.B.R. That would be Death, Burial, Resurrection...nothing more...nothing less.

"Now I make known to you, brethren...the GOSPEL...which I preached to your...which also you RECEIVED...in which also you stand...by which also you are SAVED..if you HOLD FAST the word which I preached to your...unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also RECEIVED, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures...and that He was buried...and that He was raised on the THIRD DAY...according to the Scriptures...."
(I Corinthians 15:1-4)

This is where I started out in 1970....and in 2008...it has not changed. The simplicity of the GOSPEL...nothing more...nothing less.

Well...wonder no more. Now you KNOW. You don't have to just hope...you can KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

"These things I have written to you who BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD...in order that you may KNOW...that you have ETERNAL LIFE."
(John 5:13)

FINAL THOUGHTS....FINALLY

Works can't get you in...but you were created unto works (Ephesians 2:8-10). You can spout off all day long about your faith...but if you don't have WORKS...all you have is DEAD FAITH. (James 2:14-26). You can believe facts about the faith all day long...even demons believe...and shudder (James 2:19) "It's not WHAT you know...it's who you know." (Ronnie Meek...my Pastor).

Love and Workless Kisses
Rodney "The Basics" Boyd

IT'S ALIVE...IT'S ALIVE....IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

Greetings all LIVING people. If you are reading this...you are ALIVE...or you are the WALKING DEAD.

"For the WORD that God speaks is ALIVE...and full of POWER--making it...
ACTIVE....OPERATIVE....ENERGIZING...and EFFECTIVE; it is SHARPER than any two-edged SWORD....PENETRATING to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [that is, of the deepest parts of our nature] exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very THOUGHTS and PURPOSES of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 The Amplified Bible)

The WORD OF GOD is more than some mad scientist with a CREATOR COMPLEX...piecing together existing pieces of corpses...and dropping in an ABBY NORMAL (abnormal) brain...and connecting with GOD MADE lightning.
Frankenstein...or Frahnk-en-steen (for those Young Frankenstein fans) was an intriguing story dreamed up (literally) by Mary Shelly...BUT it pales in comparison to the WORD OF GOD...that really is ALIVE.

If you are wondering about the pictures of the cow and the dog....the dog represents that..."faith comes by HEARING...and hearing by the WORD OF CHRIST (concerning Christ)." (Romans 10:17) Our friend the RUMINATIN' COW..."This book of the law (the Word) shall not depart from your MOUTH, but you shall MEDITATE (ruminate) on it day and night...that you may OBSERVE and DO...according to all that is WRITTEN in it (the law/word)...for then you shall make your way prosperous...and then you shall deal wisely and have good success." (Joshua 1:8) These two verses represents The Ruminator Sunday School Class philosophy of MOOIN' AND CHEWIN' ON THE WORD OF GOD.

I'm convinced that the reason there is such an attack on the WORD OF GOD... and there is such a struggle to read the WORD OF GOD...is because the devil (little d), satan (little s), demons (little d)....knows that if you HEAR the WORD OF GOD...then FAITH will come...and you will no longer walk by SIGHT...but by FAITH...the substance of things hoped for...the evidence of things not seen... and you will begin to PLEASE GOD...because without FAITH...it is IMPOSSIBLE to PLEASE Him. You will begin to (1) come to Him (2) believe that He is (3) Believe that He is a rewarder (4) diligently seek Him...not just passively inquire. (Read II Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:1,6)

Here's a question and answer found in Psalm 119:9,11:

QUESTION: How can a young man (or woman) KEEP his way pure?

ANSWER: By KEEPING it (his way) ACCORDING TO THY WORD? THY WORD have I HID/TREASURED in my HEART....that I might NOT sin against Thee.

NOTE: For more insight into the Word...read the entire Psalm 119.

In collage #2 we see various pictures including the Topical Memory System from The Navigators...started by Dawson Trotman. Daws had a heartbeat for discipleship of men and women...and he knew...that THE WORD OF GOD...is one of the KEYS to establish believers. Daws believed that II Timothy 5:16,17 was not only TRUE...but it was PRACTICAL I found an interesting companion to THE TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM...called SCRIPTURE RELEASE. You can go to:

http://www.scripturerelease.com/ which is down loadable songs that you can copy on a CD based on THE TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM. It is FREE.

"ALL SCRIPTURE (the Word of God) is INSPIRED (God-breathed) by God...and PROFITABLE (beneficial) for (1) teaching (2) reproof
(3) correction (4) training in righteousness THAT the man/woman of God...may be ADEQUATE...EQUIPPED for every GOOD WORK."

Malcom and Alywn...two pioneers from the Jesus Movement...sang a song about the Word of God...calls FOOLS WISDOM..."got myself some wisdom from a LEATHER BOUND BOOK...got myself some wisdom...when I took a second look...." Mark 4 speaks of the sower... who goes about sowing SEED (the Word of God)...and the various soils and attacks on the seed/word. The brain represents the mind that needs to be RENEWED by the WASHING OF THE WATER OF THE WORD. Again...our friend the cow...represents us as RUMINATORS
those animals...who chew their food...pass it through four chambers in their stomachs...regurgitates it back up in the form of a CUD...and then stand in a field...and chew...with a contemplative...ruminating look on their face. Mooin' and Chewin' on the CUD OF THE WORD.

For those who want to view more of the PAST ISSUES OF THE RUMINATOR RAMBLINGS...you can go to:

http://www.ruminatorramblings-rodney.blogspot.com/


WARNING!!!! WARNING!!!!! WARNING!!!!!!

You would think that a little bit of the WORD would be better than NO WORD. Hmmmm....maybe...but I tend to think that...a little of bit of the WORD (as powerful as it is)....can have the effect like injecting a little bit of snake venom in you. You will build up resistence to snake bite when you are inoculated with a little bit of the poison that would normally kill you.

Sometimes I think that people who DABBLE in the WORD....a little here...a little there...sometimes have just enough Bible knowledge to make them dangerous. The become immune to the stuff. Of course...you can have people who consume massive quantities of theology... with a basis on the Word...and be as lost as someone who never heard the Word. With all that said...I believe that the KEY to the WORD having effect in our lives...lies in what I call THE ABIDING PRINCIPLE

"IF you LIVE IN ME--abide, vitally united to Me---and MY WORDS remain in you...and CONTINUE TO LIVE IN YOUR HEARTS...ask whatever WILL...and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7 The Amplified Bible)

Well...the WORD is filled with so much more about the WORD. I hope this little Rambling...has encouraged you to press into the Word of God. If you want to know what He thinks about a matter...if you want to know His will...what his desire is for His will to be manifested on earth as it is in heaven....then go to the WORD. Read about Jesus (the Living Word)...in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...and see the MANIFESTED WILL OF GOD...in the form of GOD'S THOUGHTS EXPRESSED...in THE WORD.

Love and Rhema/Logos Kisses
Rodney "Word Up" Boyd